*d2mini's new 200g Reeftastic Build*

[d2mini]

Here's the original, proven design.
http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx
Anything else is a variation on the original Bean Animal and your mileage may vary as they say.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Correct...I got into it with Uncle about my "variant" (internal-external pass thru via bulkheads, drains in bottom of external).

funny thing is...Bean told me that is the way he would have actually done it if he had to do it over again.

 

[d2mini]

As you can see, i had to valve down the open channel too.
I would never do it without all three valves. Always better to have options IMO.
But why is having the valve at the sump level better? I don't see how that would make a difference. I couldn't do it anyway, though. I have an almost horizontal run right to the sump.
Definitely not ideal but was unavoidable in my case. And it's easier for me to make adjustments here rather than having to reach down under.

BLUE CLOVE POLYP UPDATE!:
It's been less than 24 hours. They are already looking pretty sad. Darker color, not as fluffy, some are already receding.
And it appears to have really ticked off some other wavy encrusting soft coral that came in on some rock years ago that I have always wanted to get rid of. Bonus!
Hard to notice any casualties yet. Possibly one of my fighting conch. All my gorgonians look a bit upset too.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

As you can see, i had to valve down the open channel too.
I would never do it without all three valves. Always better to have options IMO.

Whooooo...don't tell Uncle you feel that way!!

You do not need valves on the OC or emergency as these should never ever be restricted, at all. Ever. It's part of the core concept of the design. There is just no reason to have valves on these.

But why is having the valve at the sump level better? I don't see how that would make a difference. I couldn't do it anyway, though. I have an almost horizontal run right to the sump.
Definitely not ideal but was unavoidable in my case. And it's easier for me to make adjustments here rather than having to reach down under..

Because the concept of the siphon relies on the drain line being full. This means purging the air. So startup is the main reason to have the drain at the bottom. Once it's started and initially configured (first time you ever fire it up) then you tune the siphon valve such that you have 95% of the water flowing through there, or however it works best for you (usually a small amount of flow through the OC but not enough to close off the pipe and cause suction, but this is another subject).

Now, when you shut it off, let it settle out, then turn it back on, the siphon needs to purge out all the air. If the valve is at the bottom, the water crashing into the valve will close it off there, allowing any air in the line to get mixed up and pushed out rather quickly. If the valve is at the top, then this only occurs above the valve, meaning that it will take a lot longer to purge the air out of the line below the valve, if it ever does.

The horizontal run throws a big wrench in there though too, as I'm sure you are aware.

But all of this is irrelevant if your setup works for you. That is all that matters. Have you tested the failsafe operation by closing the siphon valve?

I tested things once by accident. I had a siphon hose snaked down the emergency drain so I could clean up some things and collect in a filter sock (great method by the way) but while doing this a big turbo snail went down the siphon line. Sounded like a break at a pool table. 3000 GPH still pumping. box filled up, OC kicked in, sucked box down...I had my hand on the pump power cord the whole time, I almost shat myself. Opened up siphon valve, out came snail, retuned...all good. Except I lost a few days off my life I'm sure.

 

[d2mini]

You do not need valves on the OC or emergency as these should never ever be restricted, at all. Ever. It's part of the core concept of the design. There is just no reason to have valves on these.

In my case I do need it. The reeflo hammerhead gold isn't pushing enough water through all my plumbing so the flow through the 1.5" drains isn't quite enough to be able to leave it fully open. If I open the open channel it will flush the box. If I didn't install valves on all I would have been screwed. This is why I'd always rather have the option.

And yes, it starts right up and functions fine as it is.

Interesting about the air purging with the valve at the bottom though.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I'm thinking (guessing) that this has to do with the siphon valve and the horizontal run. It sounds like your siphon line is not purging. Because you should be able to have the OC wide open and the siphon running full (filled).

If you open the OC and it flushes the box, that means the OC is not operating properly because that line should never close off and allow it to siphon/flush. I think you are operating with both lines partially tuned but neither running at siphon. Then when you open the OC, it flushes out, sucks are, the box fills up, and it oscillates this way for a while so the solution is to 'control' the OC.

You can have the OC and siphon at the exact same level relative to each other and the siphon will run full and OC will only run partially, because of the airline allowing air to intrude, and then the siphon valve (and pump flow) controls the water level in the box once it is stable. This is why I think your siphon line is not purging. Probably because of the horizontal run. But it is what it is. If you ever get a wild hair and decided to fix it, put as much slope on the lines as you can, or use flex PVC, and avoid 90s (use 45s)

 

[d2mini]

Ya, i have 45's (and 22.5's) and flex pvc.
Nothing else I can do, (but dig a hole through my house foundation and lower the sump ) it is what it is.
But bottom line is it works, so we're good.

 

[jason2459]

I've got a 12' or so horizontal run on my BA drains from my first floor DT to the basement sump. Ive not had any issues with it but understand it could be less then ideal but I've not had any problems with the siphon purging the air. But I also made sure my siphon was just barely under the water line. Any depth and I could see that being an issue.

I also do have valves on both my open and siphon lines. I did this to leave me the option or need to swap the lines up top to service the pipes as I knew having 15' or so runs with such a long horizontal run that I will see more build up of just about everything from crud , organics, and various critters. Once every couple years I swap the siphon and open and get out a pipe snake cleaner on the new open channel that was building up crud while it was a siphon. I have the valves marked where they are supposed to be and haven't needed to vary from that mark yet.

 

[d2mini]

Here's the BCP after 36 hours.
Closed up, ticked off, thinning out.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I came this close to buying some fluke tabs....

 

[Reefer525XL]

Awesome build Dennis! You should definitely be featured in Tank of the Month.:bounce3:

 

[d2mini]

I came this close to buying some fluke tabs....

Ya, tough to find these days! I lucked out.
There is an alternative but it's seems to be a little harder on inverts.

Awesome build Dennis! You should definitely be featured in Tank of the Month.:bounce3:

Thanks.

 

[d2mini]

Added another post to the blog.
A little more on the frag tank setup and recent update.

http://www.everydayreef.com/blog/2015/7/12/the-frag-tank

 

[skinsncanes]

lifereef

lifereef

Great tank Dennis. Ive searched extensively trying to find someone that uses both lifereef equipment and rubbermaid stock tanks.

I have a roughly 300 gallon tank, with a lifereef wetdry and skimmer. I bought a 100 gallon rubbermaid stock thank that I wanted to add so theres more water volume. I found your thread and saw you started with stock tanks, and now have most of Jeffs stuff. I do really like the refugium and the way it spins the algae.

Any suggestion on how I can use the stock tank as a refugium, or place to hold more rock, until I can save up to get the items from Jeff? I also like having the stock tank so I can quickly do water changes without turning my main pump off. I cant find any examples of people that hooked a lifereef sump or wetdry up to an additional sump. The features on Jeffs stuff are great but my wet dry is very limited on space to put in heaters, or if i need another pump, etc.

Do you have mud in with the algae? or with the mangroves?

Thanks!
JJ

 

[d2mini]

Great tank Dennis. Ive searched extensively trying to find someone that uses both lifereef equipment and rubbermaid stock tanks.

I have a roughly 300 gallon tank, with a lifereef wetdry and skimmer. I bought a 100 gallon rubbermaid stock thank that I wanted to add so theres more water volume. I found your thread and saw you started with stock tanks, and now have most of Jeffs stuff. I do really like the refugium and the way it spins the algae.

Any suggestion on how I can use the stock tank as a refugium, or place to hold more rock, until I can save up to get the items from Jeff? I also like having the stock tank so I can quickly do water changes without turning my main pump off. I cant find any examples of people that hooked a lifereef sump or wetdry up to an additional sump. The features on Jeffs stuff are great but my wet dry is very limited on space to put in heaters, or if i need another pump, etc.

Do you have mud in with the algae? or with the mangroves?

Thanks!
JJ

Thanks!
If it was me, I probably wouldn't do both the wet dry and the big tub. But you do need somewhere for your skimmer to sit in a constant level of water. That's why I added that internal skimmer box to my tub. I'm just not sure how I would plumb in both the wet dry and the tub. I assume right now your tank is draining directly into the wet dry so you need to figure out how to get water to the tub and then back to the tank or wet dry.

There's one or two threads here on RC dedicated just to rubbermaid stock tanks. You might want to search for those. I know they helped me when I was setting up mine.

And yes, I used Walt Smith's Fiji Mud as a base in my Mangrove tank, and I put regular caribsea live sand on top.

 

[skinsncanes]

Well I'm definitely not getting rid of the lifereef wet dry! Has all my cylinders for carbon, etc. my lifereef skimmer now is being used external so I could keep that at the same level. I'm raising the wetdry so the height would be the same as the tub for constant water. For now it would be purely to add volume to the tank, and for water changes.

Side note how's that scribbled rabbit fish? My favorite fish used to be my fox face, but that one might be first on the list now!

 

[soulpatch]

If you are simply looking for water flow into the tub why not go a similar route that Dennis did to tap in his frag tank and refugium. Split off the return to your tub and have that fed back into the wet/dry. Should be same concept without the need to disturb any of your other equipment though your return pump would probably have to be upgraded to handle the extra flow needed.

 

[d2mini]

ya, splitting the return is probably the best way to go.

The scribbled rabbitfish is doing good! Love him. Gets along ok with my Magnificent Foxface, too.

 

[d2mini]

Further decimation of the BCP!
Another 24 hours.

Everything is now back online.
Carbon, skimmer, auto water changes (which i doubled).
Also had to bring the Mangrove tank back online. Fingers crossed I don't lose the pistol shrimp.

Gorgonians are still closed up.
Hoping they pull through. We shall see.

 

[tlc]

I noticed that you grow a ton of chaeto. do you have to add iron supplementation to help keep it growing ??